1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to simulators and, more particularly, to a system for writing a simulation program for simulating an automation technology installation.
2. Description of the Related Art
The structure of automated process control or manufacturing installations has become very complex consists of a plurality of components interacting with each other. Here as well as throughout the document all components participating in the automation process are to be understood as components of an automation installation. Thus, in this aspect, it is to be understood that the sensors and actors involved in the automation process belong to the installation components. In addition, the workpieces processed by such an automation installation are to be understood as components of the installation.
Because of the plurality and the complexity of the components involved in an automation process, the software provided for controlling the components generally also exhibits a very high degree of complexity. In the final analysis, this gives rise to the aim, with newly developed installations or process-related modifications of existing installations, of being able to test the control software before the system is put into operation. This is generally performed by the automation installation and the real controllers being simulated with the software to be tested. As well as significant savings in costs and time, this brings the advantage, when a new automation installation is being developed, of the installation not yet having to exist when the control software is to be developed and tested. With the aid of a computer, the mechanical components of the automation installation are simulated. As a result, meaningful input signals are created for the output signals generated by the control program.
Generally, normal simulation programs provide behavior models with which the behavior of individual installation components can be simulated. With the aid of these behavior models, it is possible, independently of predetermined input values, which as a rule are generated from the models of other components involved in the automation process, to compute output values and make these available in their turn to other components of the automation installation or to its behavior models as an input value. In a graphical user interface of such a simulation program, the individual real installation components are thus represented as a rule by graphical symbols having inputs and outputs which can be given corresponding input and output values. In order to now simulate an automation technology installation with many individual components, the user will connect together the graphical objects which are assigned to the respective components via the inputs and outputs to simulate the flow of information within the real installation. The more complex the automation technology installation to be modeled is, the more difficult and error prone is the generation of a simulation model for the complete automation technology installation.